From day one at Swicked, our plan was to build a strong team to help us create the best bike shop, and as many of you know, finding the right people can be tough.
Do they have the skills? Do they buy into your mission? Are they fun to work with? How do they interact with others? The questions go on and on and I don’t think there are right and wrong answers, which makes it for very difficult decisions.
In a big business it might be easier to hide people who “don’t quite fit,” but in a small family biz, if it’s not the right fit it goes sideways in a hurry.
Just over a year ago we hired Jon. He fit in well. He has all the skills, he clearly likes riding bikes, he’s great with people, and completely trustworthy. But you still never know what will change, and as an employer looking for the perfect team member, you just never know how long a good thing will last.
You may be wondering why this is on my mind.
Well, Jon went on a little vacation last weekend and on his way back home, he called me to see if I could bring his bike to the Monday night ride, since he would be arriving at the last minute.
As the day went on the weather became worse and worse. By 5:00 the wind was blowing hard and the rain was torrential. I was hearing from many regular riders who were bailing on the ride, opting for other dryer activities.
15 minutes before I left, I heard from Jon. He was later than he thought and wasn’t going to make the ride.
Obviously I understood, but a small part of me wondered if he was just wimping out due to the weather.
I met up with a small group of hard core riders and off we went for a wet, windy, and dark ride. About half way though the night, I saw another light coming toward us. As I got closer I realized it was Jon. “Sweet I found you guys” was all he said before jumping into the middle of the group and pinning it.
In reality, how many of us would get home from vacation, scramble to get our gear, whip into work to grab a bike, and then go randomly hunt down some buddies in the trails. Maybe a couple of us, but in horrendous weather at night, let’s be honest, none of us would.
Sure, mechanical skills, punctuality, people skills, and attitude are all important, but when you run a bike shop, loving to ride that much is a key ingredient.
I think our team is coming together nicely.
I’m James Durand and I’m Goin’ Ridin’